Reform Movie Marketing, Too

The Motion Picture Association of America’s rating system fails parents and children in its misuse of the PG-13 rating. According to the association (M.P.A.A.), the rating means parents should be “strongly cautioned” that “material may be inappropriate for children under thirteen,” but PG-13 movies are heavily marketed to preschoolers through commercials, kid’s-meal promotions and toys. To make matters worse, research shows that films rated PG-13 today would have been rated R or “restricted” in the past, which means that young children are exposed to more violence and adult content than ever before.

As the result of a complaint from Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, the Federal Trade Commission urged the M.P.A.A. to develop an “explicit policy, incorporating objective criteria” to “ensure that PG-13 movies are not marketed in a manner inconsistent with their rating,” but the M.P.A.A. consistently refuses that request.

Ads promoting PG-13 movies and related merchandise continue to be a staple of children’s television programming. Last year, during two months of promotions for "The Avengers" (rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence) more than 650 ads appeared on children’s television stations like Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney XD.

While the M.P.A.A. claims it reviews marketing plans for every PG-13 movie, it focuses on the content of the ads, not whether the film advertised is appropriate for a younger audience. Equally concerning, the M.P.A.A. does not review ads for licensed toys and movie-linked food promotions, even though they are key to marketing films to young children.

In a cynical effort to wring every last dollar from families, the film industry is doing everything and anything to ensure that PG-13 movies are the talk of elementary and preschool playgrounds. As Paul Gitter, senior vice president of licensing at Disney’s Marvel, which owns the rights to PG-13 blockbusters like "The Avengers," "Spider-Man," and "The Incredible Hulk," once said, “Especially for kids, they'll see the toys before they'll see the movie ads. If they want the toy, they usually want to see the movie."